OUR traveller was looked upon at Gondokoro with
suspicion. Sev-
eral attempts were made to shoot him, and a boy was killed
by
shot from the shore, on board his vessel. His men were
imme-
diately tampered with by the traders, and signs of discontent
soon
appeared among them. They declared that they had not
sufficient meat
and that they must be allowed to make a razzia upon the
cattle of the
natives to procure oxen. This demand being refused, they
became more
insolent, and accordingly Mr. Baker ordered the ringleader,
an Arab, to
be seized and to receive twenty-five lashes.
Upon approaching to capture the fellow, most of the men
laid down
their guns and, seizing sticks, rushed to his rescue.
Mr. Baker, on this
sprang forward, sent their leader by a blow of his fist
into their midst
and then, seizing him by the throat, called for a rope
to bind him. The
men, still intent on their object, surrounded Mr. Baker,
when Mrs. Baker,
landing from the vessel, made her way to the spot. Her
sudden appear-
ance caused the mutineers to hesitate, when Mr. Baker
shouted to the
drummer-boy to beat the drum, and then ordered the men
to fall in.
Two-thirds obeyed him, and formed in line, while the
remainder retreated
with their ringleader.
At this critical moment Mrs. Baker implored her husband
to forgive
the mutineer, if he would kiss his hand and beg his pardon.
This com-
promise completely won the men, who now called upon their
ringleader
(456)
IN A WILD COUNTRY. 457
to apologize, and all would be right. This he did, and
Mr, Baker made
them rather a bitter speech and dismissed them. This,
unhappily, was
only the first exhibition of their mutinuous disposition,
which nearly
ruined the expedition, and might have led to the destruction
of the trav-
ellers.
Notable Arrival.
A few days afterwards guns were heard in the distance,
and news came
that two white men had arrived from " the sea " ! They
proved to be
Grant and Speke, who had just come from the Victoria
Nyanza. Both,
looked travel-worn. Speke, who had walked the whole distance
from
Zanzibar, was excessively lean, but in reality in good
tough condition.
Grant's garments were well-nigh worn out, but both of
them had that
fire in the eye which showed the spirit that had led
them through many
dangers.
They had heard of another lake to the westward of the
Nyanza, known
as the Luta Nzige, which Speke felt convinced was a second
source of
the Nile. Accordingly, he and Grant having generously
furnished him
with as perfect a map as they could produce, Baker determined
to explore
the lake, while his friends, embarking in his boats,
sailed down the Nile
on their voyage homeward.
His men, notwithstanding the lesson they had received,
still exhibited
a determined mutinous disposition, and in every way neglected
their
duties. Happily for him, he had among his attendants
a little black
boy, Saati, who, having been brought as a slave from
the interior, had
been for a time in the Austrian mission, from which,
with many other
slaves, he was turned out. Wandering about the streets
of Khartoum,
he heard of Mr. and Mrs. Baker, and, making his way to
their house,
threw himself at the lady's feet, and implored to be
allowed to follow
them. Hearing at the mission that he was superior to
his juvenile com-
panions, they accepted his services, and, being thoroughly
washed, and
attired in trousers, blouse, and belt, he appeared a
different creature.
From that time he considered himself as belonging entirely
to Mrs.
Baker, and to serve her was his greatest pride. She in
return endeavored
to instruct him, and gave him anecdotes from the Bible,
combined with,
the first principles of Christianity.
Down With Your Guns This Moment!
Through the means of young Saati, Mr. Baker heard of a
plot among
the Khartoum escort, to desert him with their arms and
ammunition, and
to fire at him should he attempt to disarm them. The
locks of their
guns had, by his orders, been covered with pieces of
mackintosh. Direct-
ing Mrs. Baker to stand behind him, he placed outside
his tent, on his
travelling bedstead, five double-barrelled guns loaded
with buck-shot, a
Tevolver, and a naked sabre. A sixth rifle he kept in
his own hands,
while Richarn and Saati stood behind him with double-barrelled
guns.
He then ordered the drum to beat, and all the men to form
in line of
marching order while he requested Mrs. Baker to point
out any man
who should attempt to uncover his lock when he gave the
order to lay
down their arms. In the event of the attempt being made,
he intended
to shoot the man immediately. At the sound of the drum
only fifteen
assembled. He then ordered them to lay down their arms.
This, with
insolent looks of defiance, they refused to do.
" Down with your guns this moment ! " he shouted.
At the sharp click of the locks, as he quickly capped
the rifle in his
Jhand, the cowardly mutineers widened their line and
wavered ; some
retreated a few paces, others sat down and laid their
guns on the ground,
while the remainder slowly dispersed, and sat in twos
or singly under
the various trees about eighty paces distant. On advancing
they capi-
tulated, agreeing to give up their arms and ammunition
on receiving a
written discharge. They were immediately disarmed. The
discharge
'was made out, when upon each paper Mr. Baker wrote the
word " muti-
neer" above his signature. Finally, nearly the whole
of the escort
deserted, taking service with the traders.
Heroism in the Face of Danger.
Not to be defeated, Baker obtained a Bari boy as interpreter,
deter-
mined at all hazards to start from Gondokoro. A party
of traders under
one Koorshid, who had lately arrived from Latooka and
were about to
return, not only refused to allow the travellers to accompany
them, but
declared their intention of forcibly driving them back,
should they attempt
to advance by their route. This served as an excuse to
the remainder of
Jiis escort for not proceeding. Saati discovered another
plot, his men
having been won over by Mahomet Her, another trader.
Notwithstanding the danger he was running, Mr. Baker compelled
his
men to march, and by a clever manoeuvre got ahead of
the party led
by Ibrahim, Koorshid's guide. Finally, by wonderful tact,
assisted by
Mrs. Baker, he won over Ibrahim, and induced him to render
him all the
assistance in his power.
Aided by his new friend, he arrived at TarrangoUe, one
of the princi-
pal places in the Latooka country, a hundred miles from
Gondokoro,
"which, though out of his direct route, would, he hoped,
enable him
with great ease finally to reach Unyoro, the territory
of Kamrasi. In
the meantime, however, several of his men had deserted
and joined
Mahomet Her. He had warned them that they would repent
of their
folly. His warnings were curiously fulfilled.
News soon arrived that Mahomet Her, with a party of a
hundred and
ten armed men, in addition to three hundred natives,
had made a raid
upon a certain village among the mo-untains for slaves
and cattle. Hav-
ing succeeded in burning the village and capturing a
number of slaves,
as they were re-ascending the mountain to obtain a herd
of cattle they
had heard of, they were attacked by a large body of Latookas,
lying in
ambush among the rocks on the mountain side.
Driven Over a Precipice.
In vain the Turks fought ; every bullet aimed at a Latooka
struck a
rock, while rocks, stones, and lances were hurled at
them from all sides
and from above. Compelled to retreat, they were seized
with a panic,
and took to flight. Hemmed in by their foes, who showered
lances and
stones on their heads, they fled down the rocky and perpendicular
ravines. Mistaking their road, they came to a precipice
from which
there was no retreat.
The screaming and yelling savages closed round them. All
was use-
less ; not an enemy could they shoot, while the savages
thrust them for-
ward with wild yells to the very verge of a precipice
five hundred feet
high. Over it they were driven, hurled to destruction
by the mass of
Latookas pressing onward. A few fought to the last ;
but all were at
length forced over the edge of the cliff, and met the
just reward of their
atrocities. No quarter had been given, and upwards of
two hundred of
the natives who had joined the slave-hunters in the attack,
had fallen
with them.
Mahomet Her had not accompanied his party, and escaped,
though
utterly ruined. The result of this catastrophe was highly
beneficial to
Mr. Baker.
" Where are the men who deserted me ? " he asked of those
who still
remained with him.
Without speaking, they brought two of his guns covered
with clotted
blood mixed with sand. Their owners' names were known
to him by
the marks on the stocks. He mentioned them.
" Are they all dead ? " he asked.
" All dead," the men replied.
" Food for the vultures," he observed. " Better for them
had they
remained with me and done their duty." He had before
told his men
that the vultures would pick the bones of the deserters.
Notwithstanding the dangers of his position, Mr. Baker
frequently
went out shooting, and, among other animals, he killed
an enormous ele-
phant. He was among the well-known Latooka tribe, whose
fantastic
funeral dance has been described in a previous chapter.
Baker gives the following graphic account of his adventures
in pursuit
of the game in which this part of Africa abounds :
I started at 5 a. m. with my three horses and two camels,
the latter
carrying water and food. After a march of two or three
hours through
the beautiful hunting-grounds formed by the valley of
Latooka, with its
alternate prairies and jungles, I came upon the tracks
of rhinoceros,,
giraffes, and elephants, and shortly moved a rhinoceros,
but could get
no shot, owing to the thick bush in which he started
and disappeared
quicker than I could dismount. After a short circuit
in search of the
rhinoceros, we came upon a large herd of buffaloes, but
at the same
moment we heard elephants trumpeting at the foot of the
mountains.
Not wishing to fire, lest the great game should be disturbed,
I contented
myself with riding after the buffaloes, wonderfully followed
on foot by
Adda, one of my men, who ran like a deer, and almost
kept up to my
horse, hurling his three lances successively at the buffaloes,
but without
success.
Thrilling Encounter.
I had left the camels in an open plain, and returning
from the gallop
after the buffaloes, I saw the men on the camels beckoning
to me in great
excitement. Cantering towards them, they .explained that
a herd of bull
elephants had just crossed an open space, and had passed
into the jungle
beyond. There was evidently abundance of game ; and calling
my men
together, I told them to keep close to me with the spare
horses and rifles,,
while I sent the Latookas ahead to look out for the elephants
: we fol-
lowed at a short distance.
In about ten minutes we saw the Latookas hurrying towards
us, and
almost immediately after, I saw two enormous bull elephants
with
splendid tusks about a hundred yards from us, apparently
the leaders of
an approaching herd. The ground was exceedingly favorable,
being tol-
erably open, and yet with sufficient bush to afford a
slight cover. Pres-
ently, several elephants appeared and joined the two
leaders — there was
evidently a considerable number in the herd, and I was
on the point of
dismounting to take the first shot on foot, when the
Latookas, too eager,,
approached the herd; their red and blue helmets at once
attracted the
attention of the elephants, and a tremendous rush took
place, the whole
herd closing together and tearing off at full speed.
"Follow me!" I
hallooed to my men, and touching my horse with the spur,
I intended to
dash into the midst of the herd.
Just at that instant, in his start, my horse slipped and
fell suddenly
upon his side, falling upon my right leg and thus pinning
me to the
ground. He was not up to my weight, and releasing myself,
I immedi-
ately mounted my old Abyssinian hunter, " Tetel," and
followed the
tracks of the elephants at full speed, accompanied by
two of the Latookas
who ran like hounds. Galloping through the green but
thornless bush^
I soon came in sight of a grand bull elephant, steaming
along like a loco-
motive engine straight before me. Digging in the spurs,
I was soon
within twenty yards of him ; but the ground was so unfavorable,
being
full of buffalo holes, that I could not pass him. In
about a quarter of an
hour, after a careful chase over deep ruts and gullies
concealed in high
grass, I arrived at a level space, and shooting ahead,
I gave him a shoul-
der shot. I saw the wound in a good place, but the bull
rushed along
all the quicker, and again we came into bad ground that
made it unwise
to close. However, on the first opportunity I made a
dash by him, and
fired my teft-hand barrel at full gallop. He slackened
his speed, but I
could not halt to reload, lest I should lose sight of
him in the high grass
and bush.
The Huge Beast Faces His Foes.
Not a man was with me to hand a spare rifle. My cowardly
fellows,,
although light-weights and well mounted, were nowhere
; the natives
were outrun, as of course was Richarn, who, not being
a good rider, had
preferred to hunt on foot. In vain I shouted for the
men ; and I followed
the elephant with an empty rifle for about ten minutes,
until he suddenly
turned round, and stood facing me in an open spot in
grass about nine
or ten feet high. " Tetel" was a grand horse for elephants,
not having
the slightest fear, and standing fire like a rock, not
even starting under
the discharge of the heaviest charge of powder. I now
commenced re-
loading, when presently one of my men, Yaseen, came up
upon my
horse " Filfil." Taking a spare gun from him, I rode
rapidly past the
elephant, and suddenly reining up, I made a good shot
exactly behind
the bladebone. With a shrill scream the elephant charged
down upon
me like a steam-engine. In went the spurs. " Tetel "
knew his work,
and away he went over the ruts and gullies, the high
dry grass whistling
in my ears as we shot along at full speed, closely followed
by the enraged
bull for about two hundred yards.
The elephant then halted; and turning the horse's head,
I again faced
him and reloaded. Just at this moment I heard the rush
of elephants
advancing through the green bush upon the rising ground
above the
hollow formed by the open space of high withered grass
in which we
were standing facing each other. My man Yaseen had bolted
with his
fleet horse at the first charge, and was not to be seen.
Presently, the rushing sound increased, and the heads
of a closely-
packed herd of about eighteen elephants showed above
the low bushes
and they broke cover, bearing down directly upon me,
both I and my
horse being unobserved in the high grass. I never saw
a rhore lovely
sight; they were all bulls with immense tusks. Waiting
until they were
within twenty yards of me I galloped straight at them,
giving a yell that
turned them. Away they rushed up the hill, but at so
great a pace, that
upon the rutty and broken ground I could not overtake
them, and they
completely distanced me. " Tetel," although a wonderfully
steady
hunter, was an uncommonly slow horse, but upon this day
he appeared
to be slower than usual, and I was not at the time aware
that he was
seriously ill.
Cowardly Followers.
By following three elephants separated from the herd I
came up to
them by a short cut, and singling out a fellow with enormous
tusks, I
rode straight at him. Finjiing himself overhauled, he
charged me with
such qickness and followed me up so far, that it was
with the greatest
difficulty that I cleared him. When he turned, I at once
returned to the
attack; but he entered a thick thorny jungle through
which, no horse
could follow, and I failed to obtain a shot.
I was looking for a path through which I could penetrate
the bush,
when I suddenly heard natives shouting in the direction
where I had left
the wounded bull. Galloping towards the spot, I met a
few scattered
natives ; among others, Adda. Aft^r. shouting for some
time, at length
Yaseen appeared upon my horse " Filfil ; " he had fled
as usual when he
saw the troop of elephants advancing, and no one knows
how far he had
ridden before he thought it safe to look behind him.
With two mounted
gun-bearers and five others on foot I had been entirely
deserted through
the cowardice of my men.
The elephant that I had left as dying, was gone. One of
the Latookas
had followed upon his tracks, and we heard this fellow
shouting in the
distance. I soon overtook him, and he led rapidly upon
the track
through thick bushes and high grass. In about a quarter
of an hour we
came up with the elephant ; he was standing in bush,
facing us at about
fifty yards' distance, and im.mediately perceiving ws,
he gave a saucy
jerk with his head, and charged most determinedly. It
was exceedingly
difficult to escape, owing to the bushes which impeded
the horse, while
the elephant crushed them like cobwebs : however, by
turning my horse
sharp round a tree, I managed to evade him after a chase
of about a hun-
dred and fifty yards.
Disappearing in the jungle after his charge, I immediately
followed
"him. The ground was hard, and so trodden by elephants
that it was
difficult to single out the track. There was no blood
upon the ground,
but only on the trees every now and then, where he had
rubbed past
them in his retreat. After nearly two hours passed in
slowly following
upon his path, we suddenly broke cover and saw him travelling
very
quietly through an extensive plain of high grass. The
ground was gently
inclining upwards on either side the plain, but the level
was a mass of
deep, hardened ruts, over which no horse could gallop.
Knowing my
friend's character, I rode up the rising ground to reconnoitre
: I found it
tolerably clear of holes, and far superior to the rutty
bottom. My two
mounted gun-bearers had now joined me, and far from enjoying
the
sport, they were almost green with fright, when I ordered
them to keep
?close to me and to advance. I wanted them to attract
the elephant's
-attention, so as to enable me to obtain a good shoulder
shot.
Elephant Screaming Like a Steam Whistle.
Riding along the open plain, I at length arrived within
about fifty
yards of the bull, when he slowly turned. Reining " Tetel
" up, I imme-
diately fired a steady shot at the shoulder. For a moment
he fell upon
his knees, but, recovering with wonderful quickness,
he was in full charge
upon me. Fortunately I had inspected my ground previous
to the
attack, and away I went up the inclination to my right,
the spurs hard at
work, and the elephant screaming with rage, gaining on
me.
My horse felt as though made of wood, and clumsily rolled
along in a
sort of cow-gallop ; — in vain I dug the spurs into his
flanks, and urged
him by rein and voice; not an extra stride could I get
out of him, and
he reeled along as though thoroughly exhausted, plunging
in and out of
the buffalo holes instead of jumping them. Hamed was
on my horse
?*' Mouse," who went three to " Tetel's " one, and instead
of endeavoring
to divert the elephant's attention, he shot ahead, and
thought of nothing
but getting out of the way. Yaseen, on " Filfil," had
fled in another
direction; thus I had the pleasure of being hunted down
upon a sick and
disabled horse.
I kept looking round, thinking that the elephant would
give in : — we
had been running for nearly half a mile, and the brute
was overhauling
me so fast that he was within ten or twelve yards of
the horse's tail, with
his trunk stretched out to catch him. Screaming like
the whistle of an
engine, he fortunately so frightened the horse that he
went his best,
although badly, and I turned him suddenly down the hill
and doubled
back like a hare. The elephant turned up the hill, and
entering the
jungle he relinquished the chase, when another hundred
yards' ' run.
would have bagged me.
In a life's experience in elephant-hunting, I never was
hunted for such
a distance. Great as were " Tetel's " good qualities
for pluck and steadi-
ness, he had exhibited such distress and want of speed,
that I was sure
he failed through some sudden malady. I immediately dismounted,
and
the horse laid down, as I thought, to die.
Whistling loudly, I at length recalled Hamed, who had
still continued
his rapid flight without once looking back, although
the elephant was
out of sight. Yaseen was, of course, nowhere; but after
a quarter of an
hour's shouting and whistling, he reappeared, and I mounted
" Filfil,'"
ordering " Tetel " to be led home.
The sun had just sunk, and the two Latookas who now joined
me-
refused to go farther on the tracks, saying, that the
elephant must die
during the night, and that they would find him in the
morning. We
were at least ten miles from camp ; I therefore fired
a shot to collect my
scattered men, and in about half an hour we all joined
together, except
the camels and their drivers, that we had left miles
behind.
Tales of Narrow Escapes.
No one had tasted food since the previous day, nor had
I drunk
water, although the sun had been burning hot ; I now
obtained some
muddy rain water from a puddle, and we went towards home,
where we
arrived at half-past eight, everyone tired with the day's
work. The
camels came into camp about an hour later.
My men were all now wonderfully brave ; each had some
story of a
narrow escape, and several declared that the elephants
had run over
them, but fortunately without putting their feet upon
them.
The news spread through the town that the elephant was
killed ; and,,
long before daybreak on the following morning, masses
of natives had
started for the jungles, where they found him lying dead.
Accordingly,,
they stole his magnificent tusks, which they carried
to the town of Wak-
kala, and confessed to taking all the flesh, but laid
the blame of the ivory
theft upon the Wakkala tribe.
There was no redress. The questions of a right of game
are ever pro-
lific of bad blood, and it was necessary in this instance
to treat the matter
lightly. Accordingly, the natives requested me to go
out and shoot
them another elephant; on the condition of obtaining
the meat, they
were ready to join in any hunting expedition.
The elephants in Central Africa have very superior tusks
to those of
Abyssinia. I had shot a considerable number in the Base
country on.
the frontier of Abyssinia, and few tusks were 30 lbs.
weight ; those in
the neighborhood of the White Nile average about 50 lbs.
for each tusk
of a bull elephant, while those of the females are about
10 lbs. I have
seen monster tusks of 160 lbs., and one was in the possession
of a trader
that weighed 172 lbs.
It is seldom that a pair of tusks are fac-simile. As a
man uses the
right hand in preference to the left, so the elephant
works with a particu-
lar tusk, which is termed by the traders " el Hadam "
(the servant) ; this
is naturally more worn than the other, and is usually
about ten pounds
lighter ; frequently it is broken, as the elephant uses
it as a lever to
uproot trees and to tear up the roots of various bushes
upon which he
feeds.
Elephants in War.
The African elephant is not only entirely different from
the Indian
species in his habits, but he also differs in form.
There are three distinguishing peculiarities. The back
of the African
elephant is concave, that of the Indian is convex; the
ear of the African
is enormous, entirely covering the shoulder when thrown
back, while the
ear of the Indian variety is comparatively small. The
head of the Afri-
can has a convex front, the top of the skull sloping
back at a rapid incli-
nation, while the head of the Indian elephant exposes
a flat surface a
little above the trunk. The average size of the African
elephant is larger
than those of Ceylon, although I have occasionally shot
monster rogues
in the latter country, equal to anything that I have
seen in Africa.
The English forces in India were not slow in discovering
the practical
aid to be derived from this enormous beast. Its vast
strength, its un-
common intelligence, its spirit of obedience, its ability
to swim the deep-
est rivers and push through the thickest jungles, rendered
it available for
service where no other animal would have answered the
purpose.
Frequently, in India, guns have been transported on the
backs of ele-
phants, and have thus been carried where no gun-carriage
could have
made its way on account of the obstructions to travel.
The cannon is
strapped on the back of the huge beast, and might even
be fired from
that high perch, except for the difficulty the gunner
finds in taking sure
aim.
The Explorers at Obho.
It became dangerous for Baker to remain longer in the
countiy, in
consequence of the abominable conduct of the Turks in
his party, which
so irritated the natives that an attack from them was
daily expected.
They were therefore compelled to return to Obbo, the
chief of which, old
Katchiba, had before received them in a friendly manner.
Here, in con-
sequence of their exposure to wet, Mr. and Mrs. Baker
were attacked
with fever. By tliis time all their baggage animals as
well as their horses
had died.
Katchiba laid claim to intercourse with the unseen world,
and to
authority over the elements ; rain and drought, calm
and tempest, being
supposed by his subjects to be equally under his command.
Sometimes,
if the country had been afflicted with drought beyond
the usual time of
rain, Katchiba would assemble his people, and deliver
a long harangue,
inveighing against their evil doings, which had kept
off the rain. These
evil doings, on being analyzed, generally proved to be
little more than a
want of liberality toward himself. He explained to them
that he sin-
cerely regretted their conduct, which " has compelled
him to afflict them
with unfavorable weather, but that it is their own fault.
If they are so
greedy and so stingy that they will not supply him properly,
how can
they expect him to think of their interests? No goats,
no rain ; that's
our contract, my friends," says Katchiba, " Do as you
like: /can wait;
I hope you can." Should his people complain of too much
rain, he
threatens to pour storms and lightning upon them forever,
unless they
bring him so many baskets of corn. Thus he holds his
sway.
Crafty Old Chief.
No man would thmk of starting on a journey without the
blessing of
the old chief, and a peculiar " hocus-pocus " is considered
necessary from
the magic hands of Katchiba, that shall eharm the traveller,
and preserve
him from all danger of wild animals upon the I'oad. In
case of sickness
he is called in, not as M. D. in our acceptation, but
as Doctor of Magic,
and he charms both the hut and patient against death,
with the fluctuat-
ing results that must attend professionals, even in sorcery.
His subjects
have the most thorough confidence in his power; and so
great is his
reputation, that distant tribes frequently consult him,
and beg his assist-
ance as a magician. In this manner does old Katchiba
hold his sway
over his savage but credulous people ; and so long has
he imposed upon
the public, that I believe he has at length imposed upon
himself, and that
he really believes that he has the power of sorcery,
notwithstanding
repeated failures.
Once, while Baker was in the country, Katchiba, like other
rain-
makers, fell into a dilemma. There had been no rain for
a long time,
and the people had become so angry at the continued drought,
that they
assembled round his house, blowing horns, and shouting
execrations
against their chief, because he had not sent them a shower
which would
allow them to sow their seed. True to his policy, the
crafty old man
made light of their threats, telling them that they might
kill him if they
liked, but that, if they did so, no more rain would ever
fall. Rain in the
country was the necessary result of goats and provisions
given to the
chief, and, as soon as he got the proper fees, the rain
should come. The
rest of the story is so good, that it must be told in
the author's own
words.
" With all this bluster," says Baker, " I saw that old
Katchiba was in
a great dilemma, and that he would give anything for
a shower, but that
he did not know how to get out of the scrape. It was
a common freak
of the tribes to sacrifice their rain-maker, should he
be unsuccessful. He
suddenly altered his tone, and asked, ' Have you any
rain in your coun-
try ? ' I replied that we had every now and then. ' How
do you bring
it? Are you a rain-maker ? ' I told him that no one believed
in rain-
makers in our country, but that we knew how to bottle
lightning (mean-
ing electricity). ' I don't keep mine in bottles, but
I have a house full of
thunder and lightning,' he most coolly replied; ' but
if you can bottle
lightning, you must understand rain-making. What do you
think of the
weather to-day ? '
Trouble to Get Kain.
"I immediately saw the drift of the cunning old Katchiba;
he wanted
professional advice. I replied that he must know all
about it, as he was
a regular rain-maker. 'Of course I do,' he answered;
'but I want to
know what you think of it.' ' 'Well,' I said, ' I don't
think we shall have
any steady rain, but I think we may have a heavy shower
in about four
days' (I said this, as I had observed fleecy clouds gathering
daily in the
afternoon). ' Just my opinion,' said Katchiba, delighted.
' In four, or
perhaps in five, days I intend to give them one shower
— just one shower;
yes, I'll just step down to them, and tell the rascals
that if they will give
me some goats by this evening, and some corn by to-morrow
morning, I
will give them in four or five days just one shower.'
" To give effect to his declaration, he gave several toots
on his magic
whistle. ' Do you use whistles in your country ? ' inquired
Katchiba. I
only replied by giving so shrill and deafening a whistle
on my fingers,
that Katchiba stopped his ears, and, relapsing into a
smile of admiration,
he took a glance at the sky from the doorway, to see
if any effect had
been produced. ' Whistle again,' he said ; and once more
I performed
like the whistle of a locomotive. ' That will do ; we
shall have it,' said
the cunning old rain-maker ; and, proud of having so
knowingly obtained
counsel's opinion ' in his case, he toddled off to his
impatient subjects.
In a few days a sudden storm of rain and violent thunder
added to
Katchiba's renown, and after the shower horns were blowing
and nogaras
beating in honor of their chief. Between ourselves, my
whistle was
considered infallible."
When his guests were lying ill in their huts, struck down
with the
fever which is prevalent in hot and moist climates such
as that of Obbo,
Katchiba came to visit them in his character of magician,
and performed
a curious ceremony. He took a small leafy branch, filled
his mouth
with water, and squirted it on the branch, which was
then waved about
the hut, and lastly stuck over the door. He assured his
sick guests that
their recovery was now certain ; and, as they did recover,
his opinion of
his magical powers was doubtless confirmed.
After their recovery they paid a visit to the chief, by
his special desire,
and were entertained in princely style.
Spirited Dance of Obbos.
Among other things the natives held a great consultation,
and ended
with a war-dance ; they were all painted in various patterns,
with red
ochre and white pipe-clay ; their heads adorned with
very tasteful orna-
ments of cowrie-shells, surmounted by plumes of ostrich
feathers, which
drooped over the back of the neck. After the dance, the
old chief
addressed them in a long and vehement speech ; he was
followed by
several other speakers, all of whom were remarkably fluent,
and
expressed their exceeding gratification on account of
the visit of the
curious foreigners.
Mr. Baker purchased from the Turks some good riding oxen
for him-
self and his wife, and, having placed his goods under
the care of old
Katchiba and two of his own men, he set out in January,
1864, with a
small number of attendants, to proceed to Karuma, the
northern end of
Xamrasi's territory, which Speke and Grant had visited.
The Shooa country, through which he passed, is very beautiful,
con-
sisting of mountains covered with fine forests trees,
and picturesquely
dotted over with villages. Several portions presented
the appearance of
a park watered by numerous rivulets and ornamented with
fine timber,
while it was interspersed with rocks of granite, which
at a distance looked
like ruined castles. Here they found an abundance of
food : fowls,
butter, and goats were brought for sale.
They had obtained the services of a slave woman called
Bacheeta,
belonging to Unyoro, and who, having learned Arabic,
was likely to
prove useful as an interpreter and guide. She, however,
had no desire
to return to her own country, and endeavored to mislead
them, by taking
them to the country of Rionga, an enemy of Kamrasi. Fortunately,
Mr. Baker detected her treachery, and he and his Turkish
aUies reached
the Karuma Falls, close to the village of Atada.
A number of Kamrasi's people soon crossed the river to
within parley-
ing distance, when Bacheeta, as directed, explained that
Speke's brother
had arrived to pay Kamrasi a visit, and had brought him
valuable
presents. Kamrasi's people, however, showed considerable
suspicion on
seeing so many people, till Baker appeared dressed in
a suit similar to
that worn by Speke, when they at once exhibited their
welcome, by
dancing and gesticulating with their lances and shields
in the most ex-
travagant manner. The party, however, were not allowed
to cross till
permission was obtained from Kamrasi.
Trying to Trade Wives.
That very cautious and cowardly monarch sent his brother,
who pre-
tended to be Kamrasi himself, and for some time Baker
was deceived,
fully believing that he was negotiating with the king.
Notwithstanding
his regal pretensions, he very nearly got knocked down,
on proposing that
he and his guest should exchange wives, and even Bacheeta,
understand-
ing the insult which had been offered,. fiercely abused
the supposed king.
Baker's Obbo porters had before this deserted him, and
he was now
dependent on Kamrasi for others to supply their places.
The king,
however, ultimately became more friendly, and gave orders
to his people
to assist the stranger, granting him also permission
to proceed westward
to the lake he was so anxious to visit.
A few women having been supplied to carry his luggage,
he and his
wife, with their small party of attendants, at length
set out.
Says Baker : The country was a vast flat of grass land
interspersed
with small villages and patches of sweet potatoes ; these
were very in-
ferior, owing to the want of drainage. For about two
miles we continued
on the bank of the Kafoor river; the women who carried
the luggage
were straggling in disorder, and my few men were much
scattered in
their endeavors to collect them. We approached a considerable
village ;
but just as we were nearing it, out rushed about six
hundred men with
lances and shields, screaming and yelling like so many
demons. For the
moment, I thought it was an attack, but almost immediately
I noticed
that women and children were mingled with the men. My
men had not
taken so cool a view of the excited throng that was now
approaching us
at full speed, brandishing their spears, and engaging
with each other in
mock combat. " There's a fight ! there's a fight!" my
men exclaimed;.
" we are attacked ! fire at them, Hawaga."
However, in a few seconds, I persuaded them that it was
a mere parade,
and that there was no danger. With a rush, Hke a cloud
of locusts, the na-
tives closed around us, dancing, gesticulating, and yelling
before us,
feinting to attack us with spears and shields, then engaging
in sham fights
with each other, and behaving like so many madmen. A
very tall chief
accompanied them ; and one of their men was suddenly
knocked down,
and attacked by the crowd with sticks and lances, and
lay on the ground
covered with blood : what his offence had been I did
not hear. The en-
tire crowd were most grotesquely got up, being dressed
in either leopard
or white monkey skins, with cows' tails strapped on behind,
and ante-
lopes' horns fitted upon some of their heads, and carrying
large shields
and savage-looking spears.
Altogether, I never saw a more unearthly set of creatures
; they were
perfect illustrations of my childish ideas of devils
— horns, tails, and all,
excepting the hoofs ; they were our escort ! furnished
by Kamrasi to ac-
company us to the lake. Fortunately for all parties the
Turks were not
with us on that occasion, or the satanic escort would
certainly have been
received with a volley when they so rashly advanced to
compliment us b"
their absurd performances.
We marched till 7 p.m. over flat, uninteresting" country,
and then halted
at a miserable village which the people had deserted,
as they expected our
arrival. The following morning I found much difficulty
in getting our
escort together, as they had been foraging throughout
the neighborhood ;
these " devil's own " were a portion of Kamrasi's troops,
who considered
themselves entitled to plunder ad libitum throughout
the march ; how-
ever, after some delay, they collected, and their tall
chief approached me,
and beggcid that a gun might be fired as a curiosity.
The escort had
crowded around us, and as the boy Saat was close to me,
I ordered him
to fire his gun! This was Saat's greatest delight, and
bang went one bar-
rel unexpectedly close to the tall chiefs ear. The effect
was charming
The tall chief, thinking himself injured, clasped his
head with both hands,
and bolted through the crowd, which, struck with a sudden
panic, rushed
away in all directions, the " devil's own " tumbling
over each other, and
utterly scattered by the second barrel which Saat exultingly
fired in
derision as Kamrasi's warlike regiment dissolved before
a sound.
Serious Illness of Mrs. Baker.
Mr. Baker, however, soon got rid of his satanic escort.
Poor Mrs.
Baker was naturally alarmed, fearing that it was the
intention of the king
to waylay them and perhaps carry her off.
Soon after this, while crossing the Kafue river, the heat
being exces-
sive, what was Mr. Baker's horror to see his wife sink
from her ox as
though shot dead. He, with his attendants, carried her
through the
yielding vegetation, up to their waists in water, above
which they could
just keep her head, till they reached the banks. He then
laid her under
a tree, and now discovered that she had received a sunstroke.
As there
was nothing to eat on the spot, it was absolutely necessary
to move on.
A litter was procured, on which Mrs. Baker was carried,
her husband
mechanically following by its side. For seven days
continuously he thus
proceeded on his journey. Her eyes at length opened,
but, to his
infinite grief, he found that she was attacked by brain
fever.
One evening they reached a village. She was in violent
convulsions.
He believed all was over, and, while he sank down insensible
by her
side, his men went out to seek for a spot to dig her
grave. On awaken-
ing, all hope having abandoned him, as he gazed at her
countenance her
chest gently heaved; she was asleep. When at a sudden
noise she
opened her eyes, they were calm and clear; she was saved.
Having rested for a couple of days, they continued their
course, Mrs.
Baker being carried on her litter. At length they reached
the village of
Parkani. To his joy, as he gazed at some lofty mountains,
he was told
that they formed the western side of the Luta Nzige,
and that the lake
was actually within a march of the village. Their guide
announced that
if they started early in the morning, they might wash
in the lake by
noon. That night Baker hardly slept.
Beautiful Landscape.
The following morning, the 14th of March, starting before
sunrise, on
ox-back, he and his Avife, with their attendants, following
his guide, in a
few hours reached a hill from the summit of which " he
beheld beneath
him a grand expanse of water, a boundless sea horizon
on the south and
southwest, glittering in the noonday sun, while on the
west, at fifty or
sixty miles distant, blue mountains rose from the bosom
of the lake to a
height of about seven thousand feet above its level."
Hence they descended on foot, supported by stout bamboos,
for two
hours, to the white pebbly beach on which the waves of
the lake were
rolling. Baker, in the enthusiasm of the moment, rushed
into the lake,
and, thristy with heat and fatigue, Avith a heart full
of gratitude, drank
•deeply from what he supposed to be one of the sources
of the Nile, not
dreaming of the wonderful discoveries Livingstone was
making at that
very time many degrees to the southward. He now bestowed
upon this
lake the name of the Albert Nyanza.
The dwellers on the borders of the lake are expert fishermen,
and in one
of their villages, named Vakovia, the travellers now
established themselves.
His followers, two of whom had seen the sea at Alexandria,
and who
believed that they should never reach the lake, were
astonished at its
appearance, unhesitatingly declaring that though it was
not salt, it must
be the sea.
Salt, however, is the chief product of the country, numerous
salt-pits
existing in the neighborhood, and in its manufacture
the inhabitants are
chiefly employed. Vakovia is a miserable place, and,
in consequence of
its damp and hot position, the whole party suffered from
fever.
Travelling in Canoes.
Here they were detained eight days waiting for canoes,
which Kamrasi
had ordered his people to supply. At length several were
brought,
but they were merely hollowed-out trunks of trees, the
largest being
thirty-two feet long. Baker selected another, twenty-six
feet long, but
wider and deeper, for himself and his wife and their
personal attendants,
while the luggage and the remainder of the people embarked
in the
former. He raised the sides of the canoe, and fitted
up a cabin for his
wife, which was both rain and sun-proof
Having purchased some provisions, he started on a voyage
to survey
the lake. Vakovia is about a third of the way from the
northern end of
the lake. His time would not allow him to proceed further
south. He
directed his course northward, towards the part out of
which the Nile
was supposed to flow.
The difficulties of the journey were not yet over. The
first day's voy-
age was delightful, the lake calm, the scenery lovely.
At times the
mountains on the west coast were not discernible, and
the lake appeared
of indefinite width. Sometimes they passed directly under
precipitous
cliffs of fifteen hundred feet in height, rising abruptly
out of the water,
while from the deep clefts in the rocks evergreens of
every tint appeared,
and wherever a rivulet burst forth it was shaded by the
graceful and
feathery wild date. Numbers of hippopotami were sporting
in the
water, and crocodiles were numerous on every sandy beach.
Storm on the Lake.
Next night, however, the boatmen deserted, but, not to
be defeated^
Baker induced his own people to take to the paddles.
He fitted a paddle
to his own boat, to act as a rudder, but the men in the
larger boat
neglected to do as he directed them.
A tremendous storm of rain came down while he was at work.
His
own canoe, however, being ready, he started. He was about
to cross
from one headland to another, when he saw the larger
canoe spinning:
round and round, the crew having no notion of guiding
her. Fortu-
nately, it was calm, and, on reaching the shore, he induced
several natives
to serve as his crew, while others went off in their
own boats to assist
the large canoe.
He now commenced crossing a deep bay, fully four miles
wide. He
had gained the centre when a tremendous storm came on,
and enormous
waves rolled in over the lake. The canoe labored heavily
and occasion-
ally shipped water, which was quickly bailed out. Had
this not been
done, the canoe would inevitably have been swamped. Down
came the
rain in torrents, while the wind swept over the surface
with terrific force,
nothing being discernible except the high cliffs looming
in the distance.
The boatmen paddled energetically, and at last a beach
was seen ahead.
A wave struck the canoe washing over her. Just then the
men jumped
out, and though they were rolled over, they succeeded
in hauling the
boat up the beach.
Delays and Difficulties.
The shore of the lake, as they paddled along it, was thinly
inhabited,
and the people very inhospitable, till they reached the
town of Eppigoya.
Even here the inhabitants refused to sell any of their
goats, though they
willingly parted with fowls at a small price. 'At each
village the voy-
agers changed their boatmen, none being willing to go
beyond the
village next them. This was provoking, as delays constantly
occurred.
Such delays, however, are incident to all travelling in
Africa. One of
the great advantages of old countries is that there are
means of transpor-
tation which never fail. Possibly once in a great while
the traveller is
detained by floods, by washouts, by railway accidents,
or from some
other cause, yet considering the number of railways and
the multitudes
of people who journey from one place to another, it is
surprising that
there are so few delays and accidents. This, however,
does not apply to
Africa. There a journey of ten or fifteen miles a day
for a caravan is
considered very good progress, and we have already seen
that some of
the explorers were detained in various localities for
weeks, months, and,
in one or two instances, for even years. Mr. and Mrs.
Baker bore their
liindrances with becoming fortitude and downright Anglo-Saxon
pluck.
CHAPTER
XXII.
THE
NIAGARA OF AFRICA.
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